Persistent Production Puts Owlz Back in Win Column

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- As the Owlz offense spaced out its eight unanswered runs, their pitching staff stifled the Vibes for the final five innings of Friday's win.

After a fast four runs in the first inning, the Vibes (20-20) didn't score again until the ninth. By that point, NoCo (16-25) had nabbed an 8-4 lead.

It won 8-5 in the end, snagging Preston Snavely's (W, 4-3) second-straight win by doing so.

Snavely struggled to miss bats off the bat. In that first inning, Rocky Mountain's Gio Diaz squirted a single into the hole on the right side of the infield. His was the first of four hits in the inning, and he scored the first of the four runs.

Fact: Friday marks the ninth time this season Diaz led off a game against the Owlz with a hit before scoring later in the first inning.

Anyway, it went the way of the Owlz after that. Brandon Crosby and Dakota Popham provided most of the production at the plate. They combined for six of their squad's 11 hits. They scored six of their squad's eight runs. They hit home half of their squad's six RBI.

The combo clapped back right after Rocky Mountain took its lead. Crosby connected with the first pitch of the second inning, sending a sharp grounder to third and reaching base after a throwing error. Then Popham pulled in an RBI by pulling a double down the left-field line. With two outs, Kevin Higgins plated Popham with an RBI rip into right.  

Usual suspects struck again in the fourth. Crosby crushed a standup triple to start it off, and Popham produced an RBI groundout to make the game 4-3.

In the sixth, the Owlz stole the lead for good. Crosby and Popham provided consecutive singles before Alex Jackson tacked on the tying run with a run-scoring single to right. Popham scored as the Vibes turned a double play. Jackson completed the crucial three-run inning by scoring on a wild pitch. 6-4 Owlz.

It got to 7-4 in the eighth, an inning Crosby again led off with a single. The second baseman stole second base before Ronnie Allen knocked him in with a double. It's Allen's second night in a row with an RBI.

Crosby capped his dandy of a day with his own RBI double in the ninth.

As the birds with the bats stacked eight-straight runs, the birds on the bump blew through Rocky Mountain's lineup.

They gave up six hits over the final eight innings. From the fourth to the ninth, they didn't allow any. Snavely snapped off three strikeouts compared to three walks and allowed eight of the team's 10 hits.

He hung around for six innings before being relieved by Kyle Adkins. Adkins, in his 36^th appearance on the campaign, came out hot.

He went out hotter.

Adkins allowed no hits through his two innings of work. He sped through an uneventful seventh. The eighth ended with ejections for himself and his manager, Robby Bales, after controversial calls by both the home plate and first base umpires.

It also ended with the lead intact, leading to Christian Griffin's go of it in the ninth. He walked one and yielded two hits – the Vibes first since the fourth inning, remember – but also induced a huge double play to preserve a quick inning.

With the win, the Owlz preserve a chance at a split in the season series. They're 13-14 against the Vibes entering Saturday's deciding showdown.

Crosby counted four hits by game's end. It's his fourth four-hit effort this season. He also scored four runs, tying the team's season high.

Popham and Higgins hit safely twice. Popham's done so back-to-back nights now.

A chance at back-to-back wins starts with southpaw starter Colton Williams. Williams will be ready for the final first pitch from UC Health Park this season. It's set for 6:30 p.m. on Saturday.